Phosphate glass for use in the manufacture of ultra-short length lasers and amplifiers

Abstract

A high-gain phosphate glass composition, which can be used to produce ultra-short gain length lasers and optical amplifiers is described wherein the composition of the glass in addition to exhibiting high gain for lasers and amplifiers, also exhibits high thermal shock resistance, high cross section, insignificant concentration quenching, and high solubility for rare earth ions and other properties which enable the material to be fabricated into a new class of ultra-short length micro-laser, fiber laser and amplifier configurations and designs.

1. A phosphate glass composition comprising: from about 60 to 75 mole percent P 2 O 5 ; from about 8 to 30 mole percent of X 2 O 3 , wherein X is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, boron, lanthanum, scandium, yttrium, and combinations thereof; from about 0.5 to 25 mole percent R 2 O, wherein R is selected from the group consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, and combinations thereof; at least one of MO, wherein M is selected from the group consisting of magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, zinc and combinations thereof and is present in an amount of from 0.5 to 15 mole percent; at least one of a member selected from the group consisting of oxides of silicon, germanium, lead, tellurium and combinations thereof and is present in an amount of from 0.5 to 15 mole percent; and from 10 to 30 mole percent of one or more lasing ions selected from the group consisting of cerium, praseodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium, copper, chromium, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       2. The phosphate glass composition of  claim 1  wherein the lasing ion is a mixture of erbium and ytterbium. 
     
     
       3. The phosphate glass composition of  claim 2  wherein the amount of erbium is from 10 to 30 mole percent and the amount of ytterbium is from 10 to 30 mole percent. 
     
     
       4. A method of forming a high gain phosphate glass comprising combining the following oxides: from about 60 to 75 mole percent P 2 O 5 ; from about 8 to 30 mole percent of X 2 O 3 , wherein X is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, boron, lanthanum, scandium, yttrium, and combinations thereof; from about 0.5 to 25 mole percent R 2 O, wherein R is selected from the group consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, and combinations thereof; from 0.5 to 15 mole percent of at least one of MO, wherein M is selected from the group consisting of magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, zinc and combinations thereof; and from 0.5 to 15 mole percent of a member selected from the group consisting of oxides of silicon, germanium, lead, tellurium and combinations thereof; with
 from 10 to 30 mole percent of one or more lasing ions selected from the group consisting of cerium, praseodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium, copper, chromium, and combinations thereof; and  
 converting the combination into said glass.  
 
     
     
       5. In a method for making a fiber, a disk, a microchip or a micro-disk, wherein the improvement is that the method includes the step of incorporating the glass of  claim 1 .